Paul

In his latest offering, Mark Driscoll writes about the importance of finding our identity in Christ and not in our accomplishments or failures. Through the pages of the book Driscoll shares stories from people who have wrestled with their identity in Christ in light of past experiences. One woman talks of surviving brain cancer along with struggling with some issues with her family. In referring to her past experiences she says this: “They may help explain me, but they don’t define me.”

In the opening chapters Driscoll identifies a distinction between a biography and a testimony. A biography is about person’s life, accomplishments and determination. A testimony is about Jesus and how He steps in to be our Savior. Our story is more about our testimony – who we are in Christ and what He has done for us – than a biography based on our own efforts and experiences.

Each of the chapters start with the phrase “I Am” and each spells out a different aspect of our identity in Christ. To help explain our identity, he walks through the book of Ephesians and uses Paul’s words to help us see who God wants us to be.

While I thought all of the chapters were well written, I thought the chapters on suffering and spiritual gifts were well written. Driscoll ends each chapter with the scripture references he used. It is obvious he spent quite a bit of time in study as we wrote this book.

Who Do You Think You Are is a good read on our identity in Christ and a good resource for those studying the letter to the church in Ephesus. He uses a lot of scripture throughout the book, but also adds personal stories from people who have walked through these identity issues. It is a good read.

I missed posting about our 90 Day Challenge last week as I was out-of-town, but hopefully you have kept pace with the readings each week. Today is Day #72! We are in the home stretch of the challenge. Whether you are right on pace or still a bit behind, don’t give up! Keep spending time each day in God’s Word and continue that habit.

We had a handful of responses to our one question survey just to see how things were going. Out of the 11 responses I received, 7 are behind, but working on it and the other 4 are on track. Again, the key is that we are finding time each day to spend with God. Our focus is the word habit.

This week we looked at some of the letters Paul wrote, including 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. In those words, we see Paul’s heart for these men who were serving God in difficult circumstances. He encouraged them to continue in their work and to be faithful to the life God called them to live. Pretty good advice for us as well.

We are over half-way through our 90 Day Challenge and today will take us into Day 50. Today’s reading also brings us into 2 Corinthians. There are some tough issues that Paul has to deal with in the church of Corinth, but as you read the letter, you see how deeply cares for the church. The letters to the Corinthian church help us understand how to deal with delicate issues in the church family.

We need your help!Since we are over half-way through this challenge, it would be great to get a sense of how things are going. There is a very short, anonymous form you can respond to that will help us see how things are going. If you took the challenge, please take 30 seconds to give your response.

Whether you are on track, behind or using a different plan, our goal is develop a habit of spending time with God. Small investments over time will lead to a growing relationship. Keep it up!

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